Toy bomb



M` l. GLASS ETAL TOY BOMB FiledrJan. 2l, 1964 Feb. 21, 1967 United States Patent Office 3,304,650 Patented Feb. 21, 1967 and Henry Stan, Marvin Glass & Associates,

The present invention relates generally to a toy and is more particularly directed to a novel device including a soundmaker which might be used as a surprise novelty item or in the playing of games.

For many years, children have enjoyed playing a game which is usually called Hot Potato in which the children form a circle and pass a potato around to the accompaniment of music. When the music stops, the player holding the potato is out of the game and the game continues until only one player remains. The toy disclosed herein is intended primarily, although not exclusively, to be -used in conjunction with the playing of a similar game. However, as it will be seen, the use of the present toy eliminates the need for any musical accompaniment to the game.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel toy including a timer mechanism and a sounding device. A further object of the invention is to provide such a toy wherein the timer can be selectively set for Various lengths of time and wherein the sounding device is actuated upon expiration of such selected time. Still another object is to provide a toy having the appearance of a bomb and including mechanism which creates a ticking noise followed by an exploding noise. Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of the selected embodiment illustrated in the drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of the toy bomb;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view, partially in section, to more clearly illustrate the internal mechanism; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary, sectional View taken generally along the line 3 3 in FIGURE 2.

With particular reference to FIGURE 2, it will be noted that the selected embodiment of this invention comprises a toy bomb I including a spherical housing l2 having a cap portion 14 and a fuse I6, so as to give the appearance of a bomb. The interior of the bomb includes timer mechanism I8 which is connected with the cap I4 through a rotatable shaft 20 which also supports a sounding means in the form of a hammer 22 in position for engagement with a sounding diaphragm 24. The timer mechanism 18 is set into operation by winding the cap I4 and, as the timer ceases operation, it causes the hammer 22 to strike the sounding diaphragm 24 to thereby effect an exploding noise.

The housing or casing portion 12 of the bomb is preferably of plastic and made in two sections which are suitably joined together, as shown in FIGURE 1. An opening 26 in the upper portion of the housing 12 provides for projection of the shaft 20 which is journalled at its other end in a recess 28 formed in the lower portion of the housing. The timer mechanism I8 is suitably fastened, as by rivets Sil, to the inner wall of the housing adjacent the mid-section thereof. This mechanism includes a supporting frame structure 32 having aligned openings in opposite walls thereof to receive the main shaft 20 and three additional shafts 34, 36 and 38 which support elements of a gear train. Keyed to the main shaft 20 is a segmented gear 40 having its toothed portion in position for engagement with a pinion gear 42 mounted on shaft 34 which is movably received in a slotted portion 44 (FIGURE 3) of the frame structure 32. A coil spring 46 is fixed to the main shaft 20 and has opposite end portions fixed to stop means 48 on the shaft 20 and a stop 50 on the timer frame, respectively, so as to urge rotation of the main shaft 20 in a predetermined direction, as indicated by the arrow x in FIGURE 3. Also xed to the shaft 34 supporting the pinion 42 is a larger gear 52 which engages another pinion S4 on the adjacent shaft 36. This latter shaft 36 also includes a star wheel 56 adapted to be engaged by a bifurcated element 58 having its mid-portion disposed for rotation relative to the third shaft 38.

The winding of the cap 14 and the shaft 20 (clockwise in FIGURE 3) causes the segmented gear 40 to rotate which, in turn, moves the pinion gear 42 in the slot 44 and out of engagement with the pinion 54. This also tensions the coil spring 46. As the cap 14 is released, the biasing operation of the coil spring, i.e., the unwind- 'ing of the spring 46 and its pressure against the arm 48 on the rotatable shaft 2li, causes the segmented gear 40 to move counter-clockwise in engagement with the pinion 42. At this point, the shaft 34 is lowered in the slot 44 to place the gear 52 in meshing engagement with the second pinion 54 and thereby cause the gear train to operate. As the star wheel 56 rotates, its alternately strikes Opposite ends of the bifurcated element 58 to provide a governor for regulating the speed and also to create a noise similar to a ticking sound. When the segmented gear 40 reaches the end of its engagement with the pinion 42, the hammer 22 on the main shaft is thereby released to rotate withA the shaft 2l) and strike the diaphragm 24 to simulate an explosion. The sounding device which includes the diaphragm 24 consists of a cylindrical housing 6) having a suitable diaphragm 24 of plastic, fish paper, or the like, at one end and having its other end in communication with the exterior of the bomb housing I2 through means of a plurality of holes 62 in the wall of the casing. This arrangement tends to amplify the sound created.

Although the toy disclosed herein is useful in itself as a novelty item, it is particularly useful in conjunction with games such as the Hot Potat-o game referred to above.

Although shown and described with respect to particular mechanism, it will be apparent that Various modifications of the illustrated embodiment might be made without departing from the principles of this invention.

What is claimed is:

I. A toy bomb comprising a housing, a spring operated timer mechanism supported within the housing and including means for producing a ticking sound, a simulated fuse means on the exterior of said housing including a part which is rotatable to wind said timer mechanism, and a sound making means within said housing including a diaphragm and a striking element which is operably connected with said timer mechanism so that said striking element is released to strike the diaphragm and thereby produce an exploding sound upon completion of the operation of said timer mechanism.

2. A toy bomb comprising a casing, a spring operated timer mechanism enclosed within said casing and including a frame rotatably supporting a main shaft which extends through said casing, means simulating a fuse mounted on the end of said main shaft externally of said casing, a coil spring encircling said main shaft and disposed relative to said shaft and said frame to yieldingly resist turning of the shaft in a predetermined direction, a segmented gear xed to said main shaft for rotation therewith, a speed reduction gear train carried by said frame and including a rst gear disposed for meshing engagement with said segmented gear, a star wheel rotatable with said gear train, a bifurcated element pivotally mounted on said frame in position for alternating engagement of its end portions with spaced apart teeth on said star wheel, whereby a ticking sound is produced by said timer mechanism as the latter is operated in response to winding of said fuse means on said main shaft to tension and then release said coil spring to cause said shaft and gears to turn, and a sound making mechanism within said housing including a sounding element and a hammer fixed to said main shaft for rotation therewith and in position for striking said sounding element.

3. A toy bomb comprising a spherical casing having means simulating a fuse mounted on the outer surface, a spring operated timer mechanism enclosed within said casing and including a frame rotatably supporting a main shaft which extends through said casing and has fixed thereto said fuse simulating means, a coil spring disposed to yieldingly resist turning of said main shaft in a predetermined direction, a segmented gear fixed to said main shaft for rotation therewith, a speed reduction gear train carried by said frame and including a first gear disposed for meshing engagement with said segmented gear, a star wheel rotatable with said gear train, a bifurcated element pivotally mounted in position for alternating engagement of its end portions with spaced apart teeth on said star wheel, whereby winding of said fuse means and the main shaft fixed thereto is effective to tension said coil spring and subsequent release of said fuse means causes said timer mechanism to rotate said shaft, gear train and star wheel and produce a ticking sound, and an additional sound making mechanism within said housing including a diaphragm and a hammer fixed to said main shaft for rotation therewith and in position for striking said diaphragm when said segmented gear is disengaged from said first gear and said main shaft is released for further rotation under the biasing action of said coil spring.

4. A toy bomb comprising a spherical casing having means simulating a fuse mounted on the outer surface, a spring operated timer mechanism enclosed within said casing and including a frame rotatably supporting a main shaft which extends through said casing and has fixed thereto said fuse simulating means, a coil spring encircling said main shaft and disposed to yieldingly resist turning of the shaft in a predetermined direction, a segmented gear fixed to said main shaft for rotation there- 5 with, a speed reduction gear train carried by said frame and including a first gear disposed for meshing engage ment with said segmented gear, a star wheel rotatable with said gear train, a bifurcated element pivotally mounted in position for alternating engagement of its end portions with spaced apart teeth on said star wheel, whereby winding of said fuse means and the main shaft fixed thereto is effective to tension said coil spring and the subsequent release of said fuse means causes said timer mechanism to rotate said shaft, gear train and star wheel and produce a ticking sound as said element strikes the star wheel teeth, and a further sound making mechanism within said housing including a diaphragm and a hammer fixed to said main shaft for rotation therewith and in position for striking said diaphragm when said segmented gear is disengaged from said first gear and said main shaft is released for further rotation under the biasing action of said coil spring, and means placing said diaphragm in communication with the exterior of said spherical casing to thereby amplify the sound produced by said hammer.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 628,042 7/1899 Schulze 58-21.13 2,604,753 7/1952 Doertenbach et al. 58-21.13 2,991,589 7/1961 Ayala 46-174 3,029,557 4/1962 Lemelson 46-196 3,058,259 10/1962 Kripak 46-175 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Examiner R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TOY BOMB COMPRISING A HOUSING, A SPRING OPERATED TIMER MECHANISM SUPPORTED WITHIN THE HOUSING AND INCLUDING MEANS FOR PRODUCING A TICKING SOUND, A SIMULATED FUSE MEANS ON THE EXTERIOR OF SAID HOUSING INCLUDING A PART WHICH IS ROTATABLE TO WIND SAID TIMER MECHANISM, AND A SOUND MAKING MEANS WITHIN SAID HOUSING INCLUDING A DIAPHRAGM AND A STRIKING ELEMENT WHICH IS OPERABLY CONNECTED WITH SAID TIMER MECHANISM SO THAT SAID STRIKING ELEMENT IS RELEASED TO STRIKE THE DIAPHRAGM AND THEREBY PRODUCE AN EXPLODING SOUND UPON COMPLETION OF THE OPERATION OF SAID TIMER MECHANISM. 